Elastic hub and axle.



' No. 653,047. humm uw. 4, |900.

F: SCHMITZ.

ELASTIG HUB AND AXLE.

(Application tiled Feb. 19, 1900.)

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NITED STATES PATENT ELASTIC HUB AND AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 663,047', dated December 4, 1900- `App1ication filed February 19. 1900. Serial No. 5,688. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. it Wto/y concern/z Be it known that I, FRANK SCHMITZ, a citizen of the United States ofvAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Elastic HubsandAxles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements designed especially for use in bicycle hubs and axles, but capable of employment in various other connections.

The object of the invention is to interpose a spring between the hub and axle, mounting the axle so as to give it a limited vertical movement with respect to the hub and guiding it so as to maintain its parallelism therewith.

The invention consists in certain. novel characteristics pertaining especially to the arrangement of the parts, so as to provide for suitable adjustment to preserve the latter in easy Working relation and also to take up any wear or lost motion.

The invention is illustrated by means of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a hub and portions of the bearings, showing the axle-box in side elevation. Fig.-2 is a similar section, except that the section cuts what will be called the axle-box in addition to the parts cut in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the axle and axle-box. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section looking downward from the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the axle-box, showing theaxle in vertical section, as indicated by the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical section in line 6 V6 of Fig. 2. Fig. '7 is a face view of a guide-plate. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the axle-box. Fig. 9 is a similar elevation of one of the guiding-caps arranged upon the end thereof, and Fig. l0 is an end elevation of the axle.

Referring to the drawings, the axle-box A is preferably made of a piece of tool-steel of rectangular cross-section having a depending socket a, in which is placed a coiled spring B. The axle box is longitudinally channeled to receive the axle C and at its ends is slit inward sufficiently to receive vertical guide-legs c of the axle and permit the saine to play up and down through the axlebox. The central portion c' of the axle is preferably oset upwardly fromthe end portions 02 to accommodate a greater length of spring B. Caps D are formed to iit over the ends of the axle-box and are slotted at d to allow the axle to play up and down therein and at d d2 to receive the slit ends ot' the axle-box. The sides of these caps d3 extend toward each other alongside of the axle-box and are guided thereon by means of pins c4, secured in said box and working in slots d4 in the caps. The slots d' d2 guide the caps upon the ends of the axle-box, and the guidepins c4 guide the inner ends of the caps upon the same, preventing oscillation of the end faces of said caps in a vertical plane. Said faces are arranged to bear upon the guidelegs of the axle, and cones E E are threaded upon the ends of the axle-box and arranged to bear against the caps to adjust the latter toward or from the guide-legs of the axle. Cups F F are threaded in `the hub G, and antifriction-balls H are arranged between the cups and cones.

It should be noticed that the caps may be adjusted to tighten them upon the axle or to loosen them thereon by means of the cones E E', which may also be used to adjust the bearings.

The axle is supported upon the fork of a bicycle or other similar vehicle by means of plates I, which are formed with square bosses t, adapted to rest in correspondingly-shaped openings in the fork. The plates are secured upon the ends of the axle, so as to be nonrotatable with respect thereto, means for accomplishing this being shown in the drawings as consisting of pins t", passing through the bosses and axle. The ends c2 of the axle are screw-threaded to receive nuts for securing the axle to the fork.

The inner faces of the plates I are formed with longitudinally-extending ribs 712, adapted to slide upon-the ends of the axle-box A (see Fig. 4) to prevent the latter from turning with the wheel and to guide the axle-box upon the washers. These plates I serve both to close the ends of the axle-box against the admission of dust and to prevent the angular movement of the axle-box with respect to the frame of the machine, the bosses pre- IOO venting angular movement of the plates with 4 of the axle-box, which strike upon the innerv surface of the cones E E at the extreme limit of moveinent of the axle in either direction and prevent any clicking in the operation of the device.

The specinc details ot construction, Iorm, and arrangement herein shown and described, Whilethought preferable at the present time, are nevertheless capable of considerable modification, and I therefore do not limit myself to the same.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination with an axle-box, an axle'vertically guided therein having guiding-legs at its opposite ends, of longitudinally-adjustable caps upon the ends of the axle-box and adapted to bear upon said guiding-legs, and a bearing-cone adjustably secured upon the axle-box and capable of longitudinal adjustment thereon to tighten the caps upon the axle; substantially as described.

2. The combination With an axle-box and an axle vertically guided therein havingrguiding-legs, neagq its ends, of bearing-cones secured upon the ends of the axle-box and 1ongitudinally adjustable thereon-and means adjustable by and with said cones for'engaging the guiding-legs of the axle to prevent oscillation of the axle with respect to the axle- `box; substantially as described. A

FRANK SCHMITZ.

Witnesses:

OHAs. O. SHERVEY, S. BLIss. 

